Scallop, Queen

Queen Scallops are a fast growing, large marine bivalve found in the northeastern Atlantic from Norway to the Canary Islands, including the North, Irish, and Mediterranean Seas. The major fisheries for Queen Scallop are conducted by the United Kingdom, France, the Faroe Islands and the Isle of Man. In the Irish Sea around the Isle of Man, the abundance of Queen Scallops has decreased in recent years, but likely remains at a moderate level. In other areas, the abundance of Queen Scallops is not known.

Queen Scallops are primarily caught with scallop dredges (typically non-toothed) and with bottom trawls. Both of these fishing methods can cause substantial damage to bottom habitats. In most fisheries, bycatch levels are not well documented, but bycatch can include various fish and invertebrates, as well as undersized Queen Scallops.

Management measures are in place to varying degrees in areas where Queen Scallops are fished. The Isle of Man trawl fishery has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

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Fish Key:

Species has a combination of problems such as overfishing, high bycatch, and poor management.

Some problems exist with this species' status or catch methods, or information is insufficient for evaluating.

Species is relatively abundant, and fishing methods cause little damage to habitat and other wildlife.

A fishery targeting this species has been certified as sustainable and well managed to the Marine Stewardship Council's environmental standard. Learn more at http://www.msc.org.

These fish contain levels of mercury or PCBs that may pose a health risk to adults and children. Our source of information is http://seafood.edf.org/. We also recommend that you check local advisories.